Dispensing mechanism



Jan. 25, 1955 l w; SHEPHERD 2,700,586

DISPENSING MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

ATTOENE Y5 Jan. 25, 1955 w. F. SHEPHERD 2,700,586

DISPENSING MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z5 INVENTOR ji 3W.

5 ZMMMW ATTORNEYS.

2,700,586 Patented Jan. 25, 1955 2,700,586 DISPENSING MECHANISM William F. Shepherd, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to William F. Shepherd, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 26, 1951, Serial No. 223,017 1 Claim. (Cl. 31267) This invention relates to coin operated vending machines of the type which are adapted to dispense packages one by one from the bottom of a stack of packages as the lever specific to each stack is manually operated by the customer after having deposited his coin. The invention is articles or packages from the machine which are irregular as to size or shape, and which are, or may be, irregularly stacked.

For many years past, coin operated vending machines have been used for dispensing cigarettes, wrapped candy, and many other compact articles of uniform size, but the package ejecting mechanisms have not, in the past, been wholly suitable for dispensing irregular units. Further, if the contents of the package are fragile, and if the packages are of substantial height, then, when the bottom package is removed from the stack, the entire stack drops the height of the whole package in a single fall which may easily damage the contents of the lowermost package, if the weight of the stack above it is substantial.

The object of this invention is to provide a package ejecting mechanism for a coin operated vending machine which is adapted to handle irregularly sized and shaped packages, which may be irregularly stacked, and to lower the stack with the ejection of :ialch package in a series of steps rather than by a single f Further objects and additional advantages will be disclosed in the description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the upper part of a coin operated vending machine incorporating the dispensing mechanism of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the stacks shown in the left hand side of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side sectional view taken through the lower end of one of the stacks shown in Figure 2 includthe package ejecting mechanism, the parts being shown in the position which they occupy when the machine is not being operated.

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4 except that the parts are shown in package ejecting position.

Figure 6 is similar to Figures 4 and 5 shown in position returning 5 to the position of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, the operating parts of the vending machine are housed in a base 10 on which is mounted a magazine 11. Figure 1 discloses coin slot 12, coin return slot 13, package delivery platform which is located just above the levers. The magazine comprises housing members 16 for a plurality of stacks of merchandise including a transparent front closure 17. The details of the stack housing mechanism are of no concern in so far as the present invention is concerned, but .it is to be noted that in Figures 1 and 2, the packages to be dispensed are disclosed as irregularly stacked; this is for the purpose of illustrating one of the advantages of the present invention, namely, that the housing for the stacks of merchandise need not conform with the parts particularly directed to mechanism for ejecting chewing gum,

from the position of Figure cifically, to make them fit a of package.

The dispensing mechanism of this invention is disclosed as applied to each of the two side stacks in Figure 1, and the details are more specifically shown in Figures 2 through 7. Above the delivery platform 15 and below the end of the housing for each stack of packages is a ledge 18 on which the stack of packages 19 rests when the machine is not in operation. The lowermost package of the stac then occupies a position adjacent to, or slightly behind, the front edge particular size or shape side plates rest. Inserted between these side plates 23 is the table 22 which is constituted by a horizontal top 25 and a vertical wall or riser 26 which constitutes the 1 rear wall of the cage 21. The areas of the top of the table and of the cage are approximately equal and greater pensed so that each package may be successively sup- When the hangs delivery platform 15.

he housing members 16 which contain the stack of packages over the delivery mechanism extend down approximately to the delivery mechanism. The rear wall of the housing extends almost to the table 22 and the almost 2:1, as dispackage to be dispensed must be intermediate that of the table and that of the cage.

successfully dispense all packmost package of the stack as the package is relieved of the burden.

Inasmuch as the height of the lowermost package is greater than the height of the table, the second lowerstack jogs down or eases down onto the ejector, the table is nism, that is, while the delivery mechanism operates horizontally, the stack is not exactly at right angles to it but slopes rearwardly, thereby transposing some of the weight of the packages of the stack to the rear wall of the housing, thereby establishing some frictional engagement between the back wall of the housing and the packages of the stack. Thus, the stack slides or eases forwardly and downwardly in a two step descent which avoids a sheer fall of the entire stack for the full distance of the height of a package.

This arrangement permits packages, even of crackers, of substantial height to be dispensed by the machine without danger of having the crackers of the lowermost package crushed by the weight of the stack each time it falls and thereby substantially extends the range of utility of the vending machine.

The slope of the back wall of the housing, in addition, causes the .next to lowermost package in the stack to be canted with respect to the lowermost one; and therefore, a line contact, as shown in Figures 4-6, maintained between these two packages making it easier to withdraw the lowermost one than would be the case if there were overall facial contact between these two packages.

The cut-out portion, indicated at 27, of the front wall 24 of the cage serves an important anti-jam function in manually operated vending machines where the ejector mechanism is returned to package receiving position by spring means. In the event that the lever associated with the ejector is operated rapidly and permitted to snap back, the package being dispensed may not have sufficient time to fall clear of the cage. The cut-out portion 27 provides the needed clearance so that the package is not caught between the cage and the front of ledge 18 under these circumstances. (See Figure 5.)

The ejecting mechanism of this invention is particularly well suited for dispensing cellophane wrapped packages of cookies, crackers, and sandwiches since these articles vary in height from one brand to the next, and also are somewhat irregularly shaped. However, it will be obvious that any package within the size range defined by the top of the cage 21 and the top 25 of the table can be dispensed with equal facility.

Having described my invention, I claim:

In a coin operated vending machine having a vertical housing adapted to hold a plurality of packages in stacked relationship,

a fixed horizontal ledge and a horizontally comprising a pusher plate extending vertically downwardly from the front edge of said package supporting table to just clear said fixed horizontal ledge, the lower portion of said housing being open at its front and terminating above the package supporting ledge of said cage, said ejector being normally positioned with its pusher plate beneath the back wall of the housing to receive and loosely embrace the lowermost package in the stack and being adapted to be moved forward to a position in which the table of the cage is beneath the housing to intercept the fall of the next succeeding package and the pusher plate is clear of said fixed horizontal ledge, whereby the lowermost package is dispensed by gravity clear of said package supporting ledge, said narrowed front wall providing clearance for the falling package so that upon sudden return of the ejector from its forward dispensing position said narrowed front wall does not catch the falling package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

